George Halas Award given by Pro Football Writers of America

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin gestures as he comes onto the field before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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SANTA CLARA — Marquise Goodwin’s breakout season last year came amid personal tragedies, and that spawned a handful of honors for the 49ers wide receiver, the latest of which came Wednesday.

Goodwin won the George Halas Award from the Pro Football Writers of America, distinguishing him from other players, coaches and NFL staff who overcame the most adversity to succeed.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, left, catches a pass over Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“On behalf of my wife and I, I would like to thank the PFWA for this prestigious award,” Goodwin said in a statement. “I am so grateful and thankful for all of the support given to us by my teammates, my coaching staff and the 49ers family that helped us get through some of the toughest times in our lives.

“I want all of the people out there that are struggling to remember that the reward lasts longer than the pain.”

Only hours after his wife, Morgan, lost their son during childbirth, Goodwin sparked the then-0-9 Niners to their first win, with an 83-yard touchdown catch against the New York Giants on Nov. 12. A month later, Goodwin helped the 49ers defeat the Tennessee Titans mere days after his biological father died.
San Francisco 49ers’ Marquise Goodwin (11) reaches back to catch a touchdown pass in front of New York Giants’ Janoris Jenkins (20) during the second quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Aside from a career-high 56 receptions and 962 yards in his debut season for the 49ers, Goodwin also collected other honors: the Len Eshmont Award (the team’s most prestigious honor, recognizing inspirational and courageous play), the 49ers’ Ed Block Courage Award, and the Garry Niver Award for his professionalism with the media. He also inked a three-year, $20 million extension in March.